Vanishing Shadows
by VandGuard35
Summary: After receiving a disturbing letter from his Grandfather, Marcus Dolton learns he must come to claim the estate from an unnameable power. Not knowing what he's getting into Marcus sets up contacts around the world to help him in this mysterious quest of his. Oblivious to the danger Marcus sets off with 2 companions, Reynauld and Dismas. Evil awaits in the Darkest Dungeon.
1. Chapter 1 New Beginnings

Chapter 1 New Beginnings

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing except my OC's. This will be the first and only time I say this.**

 **A.N. Hey guys! First story on FanFiction! Whoop Whoop! I'm not going to say much except that ill accept any and all feedback as long as its not speared with flames. Hope you enjoy!**

Marcus Dolton stared down at the letter of his deceased grandfather. He had read it before but wanted to read it again to remind himself why he was on this crazy adventure. Yes he was the only other living family member who had the right to inherit the estate that his grandfather had, but he'd much rather be back home by the fire. Not that having another estate was a bad thing; far from it actually, but to Marcus it felt more like a hassle than a gift.

Opening the envelope he began reading the text.

 _"Ruin has come to our family. You remember our Venerable house, Opulent and imperial. Gazing proudly from its stoic perch above the moore. I lived all my years in that ancient rumer shadowed manner. Fattened by decadence and luxury. And yet I began to tire of conventional extravagance, singular unsettling tales suggested the mansion itself was a gateway to some fabulous and unamable power._

 _With relic and ritual I bent every effort towards the excavation and recovery of those long buried secrets. Exhausting what remained of our family fortune on surly workmen and sturdy shovels. At last in the salt soaked cracks beneath the lowest foundations we unearthed that damnable portal and a deluvient evil._

 _Our every step unsettled the ancient earth, but we were in a realm of death and madness. In the end I alone was the only one who escaped, laughing and wailing through those blackened arcaded halles of antiquity, Until consciousness failed me_

 _You remember our Venerable house, Opulent and imperial. It is a festering abomination! I BEG YOU! Return home claim your birthright, and deliver our family from the ravenous clutches of… The Darkest Dungeon."_

It didn't matter how many times Marcus read, and re-read the letter. It still left him in a cold sweat. Sighing, Marcus looked in front of him. He was in a carriage, driven by horse and a stone faced servant of the hamlet that he traveled to. In his company were two men, a zealous warrior of the light named, Reynauld. With him was a highwayman who went by the name, Dismas. Both men have seen combat in their lives so the Heir felt at ease as they traveled together along the old road.

Before long, Marcus was awoken by a cry of pain that emanated from outside the carriage. And within moments the men were tumbling out of control until they met with a brief and painful stop. After gaining their baring all three occupants got out and surveyed the surrounding area. The front of the carriage was utterly smashed due to the rock that stopped it. Their belongings were all over the floor of the dead grass that coated the base of the forest. The servant was nowhere to be seen. Marcus came to the realization that the cry of pain must have come from the unfortunate driver. All around them was a infested and dying grove of trees and overgrown foliage.

"Reynauld, I shall stay here and gather our belongings. Go find the way back onto the old road. Over there seems like a good place to start." Marcus said as he pointed to a circular gate of cobblestone that had iron bars acting as a door.

Without another word the two men left to scout the area leaving Marcus there to tend the baggage. Before he even touched a bag, an old and familiar sounding voice echoed behind him.

"Marcus…"

The young Heir tensed at hearing his name in such a chilling voice. He turned his head to see the form of a hooded thug stepping through the bushes with a large dagger gleaming in the dusk light of the sun. Quickly looking for a weapon he found his sword, a 6ft bastard sword made of fine steel. Grabbing it with righteous vigor, Marcus unsheathed the weapon and prepared himself for a fight.

"Dispatch this thug in brutal fashion, so that all may hear of your arrival."

'That voice' Marcus thought.

'Nevermind that!'

Pushing the thoughts to the back of his mind the Heir took his stance and readied himself. Taking in the thugs appearance as he approached, Marcus noticed that something was off about the man in the way he walked, and his very skin looked green, even to the point of infection at some areas.

Marcus decided that he'd make the first move and charged at the thug, raising the sword to his right. Taking a strike at the bandits side, the blade went in a wide arc and tore into the flesh of the bandits mid section. The thug seemed unfazed by the sword and raised his head to look the Heir straight in the eye. This disturbed Marcus greatly, not only was the man not fazed by the sword that was literally in his side but also by the man's eyes, they were black as pitch.

"Our new god will swallow this world, and your precious light that you hold so high will die and return to darkness!" The thug hissed.

Without a reply, Marcus removed his sword and liberated the intelligence from the thugs body, making it fall lifelessly to the ground.

"Well done Marcus."

Marcus turned to the sound of his name being called to see a ghost of an old man staring at him with a hearty smile. The old man turned out to be his deceased grandfather. From the looks of it, he still wore that old red trenchcoat and his white scarf that was tied comfortably around his neck. His pants were made of a fine cloth that was black, no doubt intentional. His skin was pale, which struck him as odd. His hair was also white as snow, one of the things he remembered as a kid when his parents took him to see his grandfather.

"Grandfather? How are you alive? I thought you were dead." Marcus said, still very much confused.

"Oh you're right Marcus I am dead, however for me it was not the end. I've been sent back to set things straight and to help guide you, and the people you lead to victory. For me this is a sort of purgatory. If I can help you succeed in this noble quest than I will be granted access to heaven."

"And what would happen should you fail?" Marcus questioned.

"For you it is the death of all on this earth and the very light we pray too. For me it is a hell far worse than any other would ever receive no matter how horrible and great of sin they could be." His Grandfather said with a heavy sigh of sadness. "But! There is a chance we could prevail. We have the light and the people to help us on this on our side."

"Doesn't leave me with much a choice now does it? Oh well, I came to take this estate anyway, a little challenge never hurt anybody." Marcus said, his head held high at the idea of saving the world.

"Your bravery was always something I admired about you Marcus." The grandfather said with a smile "Now you must hurry though, your friends are in danger."

* * *

'This is ridiculous!' Reynauld thought as he dodged another shot from a bandit.

The first bandit they ran into had attacked them when they were a only a few steps away from the gate which was annoying but nothing they both couldn't handle. They had also ran into a tent that housed some gold and a few slices of bread which they took. However when they went through an identical cobblestone gateway they encountered a behemoth of a man who stood at least 7 feet tall and was ripped with muscles and fat, along with a small man with a rifle who wisely stood behind him. The overgrown thug held onto a whip with multiple wires that had metal balls at the end. He was wearing a green hood and a makeshift midsection cover that had green cloth being held together by 2 grey belts.

The second man had the same green hood but also wore a tan shirt that matched his pants and belt. Each of the men had gold pouches slung onto their waist belt.

Dismas, realizing the men were surprised took the first move and fired a grapeshot round, embedding lead into both bandits causing a cry of annoyance and pain from the thugs. Reynauld realizing there was no turning back now, raised his sword and charged at the thug champion, cutting a long gash across the chest. With rage the two men retaliated, the champion pulled his pistol out and fired at point blank range, hitting Renauld square in the chest. The little man also attacked Reynauld with a shot from his rifle, however this only dented his breast plate. Dismas took this time to fire another round at the champions head. Luck was on his side as the bullet went straight through causing the beast of a man to fall. Reynauld then took this advantage and quickly stepped over the corpse and cleaved the small man in two, killing him instantly.

Taking a look around, Dismas saw they were in another clearing, but this one supported a view. He drew to the cliff that lead to the hamlet and the old road they seeked. Reynauld noticed a large chest that was lying a little bit away from the smaller man. Upon closer inspection he found that it was unlocked. Reaching out with his hand to open the chest-

"WAIT!" Dismas yelled as he noticed Reynauld draw closer.

Reynauld was then tackled, not by Dismas but by Marcus.

Marcus rolled off Reynauld and stood, releasing his breath he'd held in. Reynauld got on his elbows and looked at his feet, just inches away from his crotch was a hatchet embedded in the ground.

"Well that was close!" Dismas said through choked laughter. This inspired Marcus to laugh as well from Raynaud's interesting position.

"Shutup Dismas." Reynauld said as he got up.

"Oh come now Reynauld, even you must admit that was funny." Marcus said as he took Reynauld's hand to help him up.

"Now, back to business. I've inspected the remains of the carriage and thankfully nothing was lost. Did you find a way to the Hamlet?" Marcus asked.

"See for yourself." Dismas said as he motioned with his arm the cliff view.

"Perfect!" Marcus said.

"Well i'll be taking this-" Reynauld said as he reached into the chest

"Oh no you don't Reynauld!" Dismas yelled as he caught his friend in the act, taking valuables that could help their overall quest. Reynauld had asked Dismas to help him break his habit of taking things he wanted when nobody was looking.

"Your right, for once." Reynauld said, the last part under his breath. "On the brightside though there are a few deeds and a large amount of gold in this chest, though I can't say how much. Also there was some gold from the bandits own purses."

"Excellent, we shall take them with us. Better that we have them than thugs who no doubt stole them." Marcus said as he went in the direction of the Hamlet.


	2. Chapter 2 First Impresions

**A/N Hey guys and gals! Already got some support and Follows along with Favorites?! Dang that's amazing. Anyway, so in terms of consistency I'm going to be updating new chapters every week or ruffly around that time like this one. I too am a fanfiction reader and hate it when a writer takes forever to update a new chapter so you can count on me to be consistent. Another thing, I'm terribly sorry for those of you who don't know what Marcus looks like yet and I feel extremely stupid for it, but rest assured he will be explained first on the next chapter. I kinda rushed this one a little so otherwise I would have his character look all mapped out and everything. Now without further adue onto the story!**

Chapter 2 First Impressions

Getting back on the old road was easy. The cliff they went down was nothing treacherous and their baggage was not a challenge either. The old road was nothing special, just a dirt path that was as twisted as the very forest they trudged through. After an hour of walking they final came to the hamlet. The small town had a stone wall that was about 10 feet high, but it looked about as run down as the old road was.

'Seems I've got my work cutout for me' Marcus thought as they neared the gate.

"Who goes there?" A man said on the wall.

"Marcus Dolton. The rightful ruler of this estate!" Marcus called back.

Within a few moments the gate opened and to great them was an older man who had a half mad smile he wore as the three men entered through the gate. He wore the traditional caretakers coat, with a small pair of glasses and faded purple trousers with black boots.

"Larrin Kruz, good to see you alive old friend." Marcus said as he held out his hand.

"Oh yes yes, good to see young master return home." Larrin said as he took Marcus's hand quickly shaking it. "since your Grandfather died I've been watching over the estate. I regretfully must say this place isn't what it used to be, since everything has gone to hell!"

"Larrin what happened here? Why is it so rundown, I mean I could find more cheer in a graveyard." Marcus questioned.

"This place is so corrupted because of your Grandfathers deeds. I-I was never meant to rule or even govern. This madness is… its." Larrin said but found his voice had died in his throat. Marcus went to his friend and put and comforting arm around his shoulders. Larrin had been one of his best friends growing up since he was the one who watched over him while his parents and Grandfather had talked when they came to the estate,

"Oh Larrin. We have come to set things straight and make the light shine brightly again. Don't worry friend, you can rest easy now that I am here. I will not abandon this place to be swallowed up by the madness anymore."

Composing himself, Larrin turned to face Marcus.

"In that case, you'd better get started. Here, i'll show you where you'll be staying along with your companions." Larrin said, walking off in one direction.

"Sir are you sure you can trust him?" Reynauld said quietly to Marcus once they were out of earshot.

"Yes Reynauld we can trust him, I've known that man my entire life. Though I fear his longstanding duties have affected him." Marcus replied.

Catching up to Larrin, Marcus noticed that they were crossing over a small bridge into what looked to be a town square, a broken statue of what Marcus guessed to be his Grandfather.

"Here is where your 'Heroes' will be staying for now until I get some people to clean up the guild hall. I'll show you the town after we get your men settled in, also I have called in a few favors and got you two more people to help you on this quest of yours." Larrin said as they approached the tavern. "There are a couple of spare rooms on the second level gentlemen, take your pick."

Dismas, after staying quiet for most of the time finally spoke up.

"Can we go? My arms bout' to fall off."

"Of course, yes go please." Marcus said, motioning them to go.

Smiling under his blue scarf, Dismas quickly left into the worn down tavern followed by Reynauld.

"So who are these people you've acquired?" Marcus asked as he turned to the Caretaker.

"Your Grandfather was not the only one to have connections with the church. I called on an old friend and he got me two others who could be of great service to the hamlet, if they survive that is." Larrin replied as they drew closer to a very worn down church.

The church itself was in a terrible state, boards covered most of the windows and entryways. The windows themselves were stained glass but sadly most were broken or cracked and needed repair. Looking around, just about every building was boarded up in some way and needed serious repair.

"Here is where most of your friends will end up, covered in the poisoned earth awaiting merciless oblivion." Marcus looked over to see the ghost of his Grandfather floating next to him with a blank expression.

"I really must be going crazy then hahahaha! I can see your Grandfather next to you!" Larrin said as he laughed with madness.

"You're not crazy, Larrin. My Grandfather really is here." Marcus said reassuringly.

Before the bewildered Caretaker could utter a word the sound of a carriage being brought in clasped at the men's (and ghost's) ears. Turning to the sound they found that the carriage had stopped and parked itself by the tavern.

"Well that would be the friends I told you about." Larrin said as he went to the carriage.

Marcus turned to look at his Grandfather but found he was gone again. Sighing to himself he followed the caretakers path down the cobblestone steps towards the carriage. Marcus then noticed it was getting very dark outside, it unnerved him. It seemed the very ground watched him with evil intent as he went. Once he was at the carriage he noticed two figures.

The first he recognized as a plague doctor, the mask being an obvious sign. she had green robes with leather shoulder guards and had a strange looking knife attached to her belt along with all kinds of pouches and trinkets that covered her body and her face was completely covered due to her mask. Her figure was lithe and fit. It seemed this women was prepared for work.

The second was new though, she wore plate armor over a brown robe while carrying a large metal club with spikes on the outside. She also carried a book with her, one that Marcus recognized as a holy bible signaling she was with the church. Her figure was one that was hard to tell under all the armor and robe, but considering the way she moved with a lithe grace, but based on what she had and wore he could tell she was no frail beauty. Her face showed youth but not without a hint of wisdom in her eyes. Her skin was tan and she had beautiful sable hair that flowed beneath of her hood. Marcus then heard his Grandfather again.

"Women and men, soldiers and outlaws, fools and corpses. All shall make their way to us now that the road is clear." Then disappearing into mist.

"Ah good to see you're all here safely!" Larrin said as he shook both ladies hands.

"Good to be safe and on land again, that man's driving is insane." The plague doctor said as she nodded in the coach driver's direction. Marcus looked up to see it was the same man that had driven him, Reynauld, and Dismas to the hamlet!

"Yes his driving was a little, eccentric." The Vestal said, her Scottish accent ringing clearly.

The door to the tavern opened loudly, with Dismas coming out with Reynauld closely following.

"I'm telling you I get the comfy couch-!" Dismas stopped talking as his eyes fixed themselves on the vestal. His staring became so intense that his blue scarf came off his mouth revealing his dumbstruck and gaping mouth. Suffice to say, Dismas had just found an angel in his eyes though he quickly realized he was staring and stopped.

"Would you please be so kind as to introduce yourselves ladies?" Larrin asked.

"Of course where are my manners? My name is Sophia Broadwater." The Vestal said introducing herself with a small bow towards the others.

Stepping forward, the plague doctor removed her mask and put down her hood to show a pale white face with blue eyes and crimson lips.

"I am Hannah Wiesman. Nice to meet you all." The plague doctor said towards the Hier.

Reynauld was the first to react after the introduction, stepping over to the plague doctor his large and muscular body casting a small shadow over hers. After a few tense moments he removed his helmet. Everyone was paying attention to Reynauld since none had seen him without his helm, except Marcus. His face was scared and rugged no doubt given by the years in battle and facing the elements. His light brown hair softened his rugged face and stoic demeanor, his eyes blue that showed wisdom and strength. A long scar ran along the top of his left eyebrow down to his upper cheekbone; though it did not hinder his good looks and tan skin. Raising his right hand to meet halfway for a handshake,

"Good to meet one who combats disease and eases burdened minds. My name is Reynauld Stormhand."

Hannah locked eyes with Reynauld for a brief moment before smirking and shaking his hand with her own.

"It always is Reynauld." Hannah replied.

Turning to Sophia, Reynauld did the same and shook her hand.

"Always refreshing to see another faithful servant of the light." Sophia said with a smile.

"Well now that you know him, I guess It's my turn to entertain. Name's Dismas, it's a pleasure darlin." Dismas said getting a bit close to Sophia.

"Charmed." She replied with little apparent joy, almost instantly shutting the scoundrel down.

"Well, lovely that were all getting along but it's getting very late and though you have returned Marcus it's not safe at night. We should all go and get some much needed rest." Larrin said as he went off in one direction. "Goodnight!"

"Well he certainly is a sight." Dismas said aloud when Larrin was gone.

Nobody responded and instead ignored Dismas as Reynauld showed where the two new arrivals would be staying along with Marcus going into the tavern to find his own room to sleep in for the night. This left Dismas alone in the dark, which annoyed him. Dismas didn't like being ignored even if he wasn't talking to anyone in particular. Sighing he too retired for the night, seeking his couch that he desperately wanted right now.

Unknown to the Hamlet, they all were now being watched by a pair of dark red eyes that showed no mercy, only an endless hunger and hatred for all that walked.

'So the Grandfather's descendant has finally come to claim the estate. He won't last long' the being thought as he then laughed away the night in a deep and dark sounding voice that shook the very earth from the Darkest Dungeon.

 **A/N OOOOOO spooky! Hope you all enjoyed! Next chapter will be their first quest so don't worry, there will be plenty of action and... Stress...! Anyway, I love seeing reviews even if they are small. Everything helps! Have a good day and ill be with you next week!**


	3. Chapter 3 The First Quest

**A/N Hey Guys and Gals! So I know its been a while but I assure you it was worth the wait. This chapter is almost if not double or more what I normally write, I just had so much to put in soooo... Anyway I hope you all enjoy the chapter!**

 **Chapter 3 The First Quest**

Reynauld awoke to the light shining into his room. For him the light was something that brought his mind comfort and ease seeing as how he was a crusader of The Light. However leaving the warm cocoon of his bed was something of a struggle most people had to deal with. Luckily the Crusades helped with that, that and the light of the sun was also shining in his eyes.

Coming to the right side of his bed, his feet meeting the cold, hardwood floor, he put his hands onto his knees and pushed himself to stand. Grabbing his gear he quickly suited up and got himself ready for the day. After 20 minutes of adorning, fixing, and adjusting armor, Reynauld exited his small room into the hallway to wake the others. To his right was Marcus and to his left were Dismas, Sophia, and Hannah. Deciding to wake Marcus first he went to the door and softly knocked 5 times. There was no response, so Reynauld opened the door to find Marcus sound asleep. Coming over to his right side he gently shook him, but this was to no avail.

"Come on now Marcus, wake up." Reynauld said.

Reynauld then smiled a little under his helm and decided to rip the covers off. When he grasped the blankets however he found himself on the floor 2 seconds later with Marcus fully awake now and glaring daggers at Reynauld.

"You wouldn't wake up, so I improvised." Reynauld said as he got up.

"Yes thank you. Now leave please." Marcus said, his anger quickly vanishing.

"I'll be downstairs waiting when you're ready." Reynauld said as he exited the room and shut the door behind him.

Marcus had packed a large mirror with him when he came here, not that he desperately needed it but simply because he could. He looked at himself, examining his tall and muscular figure. He stood around 6.2ft tall and had a light tan. His hair was short and was dirty blonde. His eyes were bluish green with a hint of grey in them. He had thick eyebrows that matched his hair. His skin was smooth like that of a pampered noble, not that he really worked on it.

Deciding to get ready for the day he put on a rather bland white shirt and trousers, then grabbing a pair of shoes followed by a long brown coat. His hair was a mess so he straightened it and then did a quick shave to finish off his readiness. He then exited the room to see Reynauld exiting Dismas' room with a grumble, then knocking on Hannah's door. Curious, Marcus stayed silent and watched. Reynauld stood still for a moment, his eyes fixed on Hannah's sleeping form. Reynauld reached out his hand to wake her but it seemed mother nature had struck first. Hannah's eyes shot open wide and what she saw was a dark looming figure about to grab her. Quickly, Hannah grabbed a wooden board on the floor and smacked Reynauld across the face ringing his bell and making him stumble over the the right where he tripped over a chair and fell on his back.

"That's what you get you peeping tom," Hannah said with a smile. "Though it was a good effort."

"Umm. Hannah, Reynauld was only trying to wake you." Marcus said with a look of surprise.

"Oh." Hannah face then turned bright red as she blushed.

"Anyway, we'll be leaving as soon as you and the others are ready." Marcus said, then left to wake up Sophia.

Reynauld looked up at Hannah from his position on the ground, she was still in her bed with the sheets covering her body.

"I'll take my leave." Reynauld said, then got up and walked out the room closing the door behind him.

A half hour passed by and Reynauld along with Dismas, Hannah, and Sophia all stood on the outskirts of town ready to head out.

"You'll need supplies should you wish to survive long in there." Larrin said behind a wooden counter littered with food, trinkets and bobbles. "And yes you'll have to pay for them. We need the gold to fix the Hamlet."

"Fine. We'll take 10 torches, a bottle of holy water, 2 bundles of bandages along with a flask of anti venom, 2 shovels and what are those keys?" Reynauld asked, curious about the skull like keys.

"These keys unlock certain locks that you will find in your journeys. However the keys have a strange magic that makes the key vanish after it has been used. They tend to pop up from time to time but I really have no idea why. sometimes they never show up." Larrin said finishing with a shrug.

"Alright we'll take two." Reynauld said, taking the supplies and divvying them up between the others. Reynauld took the shovels and strapped them to his back along with most of the torches which he stored in a long bag he carried. Dismas took the food and water while Sophia took the bandages and other torches while Hannah took the antivenom and keys.

"Stay safe." Larrin said as he took the gold Reynauld had paid him.

"We'll try." Dismas said.

Marcus waved at the 4 as they went off in the direction of the ruins.

About 2 hours later the 4 arrived at what could be described as being an old abbey. Sadly the slow decay of time had seemed to seep into every piece of church that was there. Most of the windows were broken, the roof was caved in and the front doors were utterly smashed apart. The courtyard seemed to be untouched which was a small relief to the crusader and vestal.

"What a shame, this abbey is simply sad to look at." Sophia said with a hint of sadness.

"True, but let's not linger, this appears to be the only way in, so onward we go." Reynauld said as he entered, followed by the other three. Inside was no better looking than the outside. The roof was littered all over the floor except for the parts of the red carpet leading to the alter. They continued forward until they reached the altar, but what they found made even Dismus shiver. A passageway lit by candles leading down. Gathering their courage, the heroes ventured down the pathway.

"What exactly are we doing down here anyways?" Dismus asked.

"Maybe if you'd not fallen asleep you would have known. Anyway Marcus had asked us to scout the first levels of the ruins, he's not sure what is down here so he told us to be prepared for anything. Though the candles are very interesting." Reynauld replied.

At the end of the passageway was a large square door. Opening the door and stepping inside, they found they were in a room with a small altar lit by three candles that appeared to be dedicated to The Light, however a few skeletons littered the floor around the altar with swords and spears driven into their bones. The smell of death and decay hung in the air creating a level of uncertainty.

This caused an air of stress to wash all over the group.

"Why are there skeletons down here? this place is supposed to be abandoned." Hannah asked getting a bit scared.

"I'm not sure, but we shall prevail. The Light shall be our guild." Reynauld said as he lit a torch, unsheathed his sword and headed to the first door he saw.

The door looked like the exact same that they came through. On the other side was a pathway that was extremely dark, where not even the torches light would go very far. The darkness was almost alive as it seemed to hiss and flow back and forth around the edges of where the light reached. Stepping forward Reynauld continued, followed by Dismas, Hannah and Sophia bringing up the reer. The corridors were made of thick and old looking cobblestone that had many shelves and other interesting pieces of torn books lying against the walls. Up ahead Reynauld saw a large wooden post that held a single torch on top of it inside a metal casing. Dismas took the torch and lit it, adding to the light that was becoming a comforting sight.

" _The way is lit, the path is clear. We require only the strength to follow it._ "

"..."

"Umm tell me I'm not the only one who just heard that." Sophia said.

"Afraid not darlin'. We all heard it." Dismas said.

"It matters little, come on." Reynauld said as he continued, then reaching the end of the pathway.

Reynauld opened the door to reveal a large room with holes that dotted the room's walls. A small chest lied in the middle of the room along with with two skeletons that looked very much alive and looked at them with eyeless sockets glaring.

Dismas was the first to react and fired a shot at the 2nd skeleton hitting him, breaking a shoulder bone. Sophia then chanted a few words and a yellow light struck the same skeleton reducing it to a pile of bones.

"Here drink this!" Hannah said quickly handing Reynauld a flask of green liquid.

"Wha-" Reynauld tried to say but was quickly stopped as Hannah lifted his helm and brought the flask to his mouth.

"Drink!" She yelled.

Reynauld gulped down the strange liquid and immediately felt angry, a small surge of power due to an adrenaline kick. He turned around and brought his sword down upon the remaining skeleton, destroying it beneath his mighty sword. Taking a deep breath, Reynauld relaxed a little along with the rush going away. Inside the chest they found a painting and a stash of gold. Continuing on they came to another passageway.

"First they're dead and now they're alive. This is insane." Dismas said speaking of the skeletons.

"Easy Dismas, you know what you signed up for, as do all of us." Sophia said reassuringly.

In the middle was a blocking of stone that was preventing passage. Together the group dugout the cave in and continued on, only to be met with another pair of skeletons and a woman wearing strange black cloths and a weird black metal helm with spikes pointing inward.

Dismas again was the first to react and fired a shot at the woman, that crushed her right arm disabling it. Hannah then threw a yellow ceramic ball that smashed into the woman, causing her to gasp and suck in the plague vapors that she was covered in, killing her instantly. A skeleton then reacted and took a swing at Reynauld but found his sword to be covering the spot he attacked. Sophia chanted and a light went after the first skeleton, but the beam went haywire and missed the target. It was then Reynauld who reacted last. He raised his sword and went to strike the 2nd skeleton. It brought its club that it held to block the attack but Raynaud's sword was stronger,smashing through the rotting wood and cleaving the skeleton to a pile. Sophia then blasted the last skeleton with her light, making it bone dust.

The remains held a pile of gold and a pair of busts that the group was guarding.

"We must take everything we can find. After all, everything has a price." Dismas said gathering the spoils into a large sack.

"Good idea." Sophia agreed. Dismas looked up and smiled at her, meeting a similar expression.

The expedition then continued, through another door that lead to a large room filled with rubble and 2 doors.

"Is it just me? Or did the previous owner have a thing for identical house-ware?" Sophia asked.

"I think it's just you. Like, that last room we visited had a little less rubble than this room, so…" Dismas said with a smirk earning him a glare from Sophia.

"Which door should be go through?" Reynauld asked.

"Hold on, give me a second to look." Dismas said as he got closer to the two doors.

Dismas looked hard at the mark's on the cobblestone floor leading into both doors. His eyes widened at the realization.

"These tracks show that both ways lead to a room that holds some kind of value, though I'm not completely sure. Also they show that there are things ahead though I still can't be certain."

"So both ways lead to danger. I'd say the first door." Reynauld stated.

"I agree." Hannah said looking at Reynauld.

"As do I." Said Sophia.

Without another word, they ventured through the first door. The pathway was uneventful except for a large sack that laid in the middle of the hallway. Hannah went forward and untied the large sack revealing a few shining blue stones and a key.

"Sapphires! Oh I do love the color blue." Hannah said as she put the stones and key inside the large pack.

" _Blue like strangled dreams._ "

"Whoever you are, show yourself!" Reynauld called. No reply. "Don't pay it any attention Hannah." He added seeing the young woman's face pale for a moment.

She nodded and the group continued on through the next door into a large room filled with bookshelves, and a hearth. Inside was a large man armed with 2 pieces of sharp metal attached to both of his hands. He wore the same strange helm and with him was another woman who wore the same garb as the last along with a bone soldier.

The woman revealed a staff with a metal skull at the tip. Then a wave of black energy seemed to thrust out of the skulls eyes as she cried "Feel the darkness!" The energy smashed into Sophia's face causing her to see horrible hallucinations.

"For the cult!" The large man yelled as he rushed at Dismas and took a swipe at him.

Dismas dodged the attack and replied with a grapeshot round, hitting the three enemies. Hannah launched another plague grenade at the woman, soaking her with blighted vapores.

"Back you servants of Darkness!" Reynauld yelled as he opened a scroll attached to his hip, showing the text that glowed bright and struck the large man turning him to dust and the bone soldier in a mighty light.

"I can't see the light! I'm blinded!" Sophia cried out as her hands covered her eyes trying to block out the terrifying images.

The cultist witch shot another blast of energy at Dismas only to see him duck under the wave and return with a shot to her head. The witch fell to the ground with a thud, signaling victory. Quickly, the three turned to Sophia to see her crying on the ground. Coming to her, Reynauld knelt down on one knee and took her hands in his own.

"Sophia, the light hasn't abandoned you, just open your eyes." Reynauld said quietly.

Slowly she opened her eyes to see the her companions all staring at her, with concerned faces.

"Come on now darlin'." Dismas said as he put a hand on her shoulder.

"Were in this together." Hannah said.

A few minutes later the group was moving again. Inside the chest they found a large sack of gold, a few crests and another painting along with a yellowish crystal that glowed a faint orange in the light of the torch. Even with the torch light being a blaze, Reynauld could sense his inner demons coming out the further he looked into the darkness. But as he continued he did not notice a small spear trap until it was too late. Out of the ground came an old rust covered metal that was jagged and edgy which shot from a small hole and sliced Reynauld's left arm, drawing blood. Quickly Hannah rushed over and treated the wound with care, sealing it up.

"My thanks, doctor." Reynauld said, patting his small wound.

"No worries." She replied with a smile.

The room they entered was empty, save for a few piles of skulls and bones that thankfully the group either didn't acknowledge or did not see.

"So we can either continue this path or go towards another battle. But we might find some more treasure." Dismas said hinting mostly at making a profit.

"I say we go with Dismas. After all, the skirmishes we have faced haven't been that bad." Sophia stated.

"I'm all for adventure so why not." Hannah said.

"Then it's to battle we go." Reynauld concluded, and walked out of the room followed by the rest.

The hallway was uneventful, except a small trap that was swiftly dealt with. Inside the room they found three bone soldiers guarding a shrine. the first two soldiers had steel swords and the third fashioned a crossbow. Hannah gave another vile to Reynauld and once again his power surge kicked in. Dismas shot a grapeshot round into the enemy, but the shot went amiss. The two bone soldiers then attacked Dismas and Hannah slicing at their bodies, each scoring a painful hit. Reynauld cleaved the first bone soldier in half while Sophia chanted a few words and Dismas' wounds sowed themselves back together. Dismas then fired a shot at the crossbowman, destroying its left hand. Reynauld then took this opportunity and pulverized the soldier to dust with his scroll. Hannah took this precious time to seal her wounds, while Sophia blasted the last swordsman to pieces.

Dismas raided the bone soldiers belongings and found a jade stone, more yellow citrine and a few shards of onyx.

"Excellent! see I told you we'd find some!" Dismas exclaimed joyfully as he bagged the precious minerals.

While the other three were distracted Reynauld took this time and pulled out his own personal bottle of holy water and cleaned the shrine. Another moment later he was blessed by the light, his stress was completely gone making him feel as light as a feather and his wounds were no longer noticeable.

After heading back the way they came, the group ventured forward. Stopping for a brief moment, they came upon another large sack. Reynauld stepped forward whistling, and opened the sack while his back was too the others. Inside he found a large amount of gold and a jade stone.

' _I'll be keeping this, a reward well earned._ ' He thought as he pocketed the goods secretly.

"All right let's keep going, we've only got a little farther to go." Reynauld said quickly, little did he know he had been caught by a pair of blue eyes.

 **Spooky cliff hanger! Again hope yall enjoyed what I wrote and if you have any questions please don't hesitate to ask. Review, Fallow, or Favorite if you want. It gives me great joy to see that people like what i'm serving :)**


	4. Chapter 4 Sunshine

**AN:Hello everyone, I'm back. I must apologize for the tremendous wait I've put you all through. I have been very busy as of late but I am here now and will do better to put out more chapters sooner rather than later. Hope you all enjoy my hard work. Also shout out to "Cribs" from DevianArt for the beautiful artwork.**

Chapter 4 Sunshine

The rest of the Dungeon was uneventful, just empty hollowed out rooms. Thankfully the trip back was quiet along with the ride back to the Hamlet. The Sun was out and shining brightly as if thanking them for a job well done. It was early morning, and the birds were out and singing cheerfully.

"I need a drink." Hannah said as she exited the carriage.

"I thought that went rather well." Dismas said smugly.

"Are you kidding? That was terrifying, I think I prefer the plagues." Hannah said.

"Well let's not fret, the danger has passed for now so let's just get some much needed rest." Reynauld said as he made his way to the tavern followed by the rest.

As they were walking they noticed the Abbey was somewhat patched up and the tavern looked better than the last they saw it. Sadly that was the only thing that looked any better.

Inside the Tavern they found Marcus sitting at the bar, enjoying a glass of brandy. He turned to them swiveling on his stool to face them and call them over. The four quickly made their way to the bar.

"I see you've been busy." Reynauld said as he sat next to Marcus while clasping a hand on his shoulder.

"Oh, Reynauld you have no idea. These people are as broken in spirit as are the buildings they occupy. Truly this is no easy task." Marcus replied while casually sipping his drink.

"Well I wouldn't let these poor saps get ya down. Soon they will realize they have much to happy about." Dismas said as he downed a glass of brandy.

Sophia got up from her seat and left towards the Abbey, requiring some much needed guidance from the Light. Marcus and Reynauld saw her leave and glanced at one another.

"I take it you've found something on your way into the ruins?" Marcus asked.

"Yes. Yes we did." Reynauld began as he told the adventures and dangers they faced down in the ruins.

By the time Reynauld was done, Marcus was in shock. He now realized the gravity of the situation that he along with his companions were in.

"I had no idea you'd face the undead down there. This isn't my first encounter with the dead but to have been almost human like is quite chilling. Listen Reynauld, a new group of people just arrived, if you want you can sit this one out while I send them down there." Marcus said reassuringly.

"No I should go down there with them. I can at least warn them of what they are about to find in the cold dark." Reynauld said as he got up with Marcus, both exiting the tavern leaving Dismas and Hannah to their drinking.

Around them they saw that the townspeople were just now leaving their homes to continue the work that Marcus and Larrin had assigned them. It seemed that the day was off to a good start.

"Well, Reynauld. If you do plan to go on the next run, then at least give yourself one day's rest. You're not hurt anywhere are you?" Marcus asked.

"Just a few scratches and bruises, nothing serious." Reynauld replied.

"Alright but just in case i'll have our newest plague doctor do a check up on you."

"Who is it?"

"Her name's Bella Strawn. She'll also be accompanying you on the run." Marcus replied.

Reynauld took off his helmet and met Marcus's eyes for a brief moment. Marcus could see the strain on his mind.

"Here Reynauld, I've got some work to do. I'll send in Bella later to patch you up." Marcus said before exiting the tavern.

The next day Reynauld exited the tavern to find that it was in better shape than he had seen the previous day. The Abbey looked like it had still seen better days but he could see many of the towns folk making repairs.

In the town square, Reynauld could see Marcus talking to 4 new adventurers. Marcus still wore his normal garb. Reynauld could see that Marcus hadn't shaved in a while and started to get a rugged look. In his hands were a piece of parchment paper that appeared to be a list.

"Luke Thorn," Marcus said.

A man stepped forward. He stood at least 5.9ft. From the looks of his armor, he was a bounty hunter. He wore an iron round helmet with a red stripe of paint running from the back middle to the front of his helm. He had green gloves along with matching boots and leather armor with a chain mail vest and iron shoulder plates. He also wore a brown hood that covered his entire neck and lower chest.

"Bella Strawn,"

A plague doctor stepped forward. From the looks of her, she was clearly gifted with curves in all the right places. She wore the same garb as Hannah only she had a grey color scheme. She was about 5.5ft. Bella had green eyes and tan white skin with flowing blond hair.

"Tornmud Curts,"

A third person stepped forward. Standing tall, was a man with a thick black beard, long black hair, and a large black mustache. His skin was a dark tan and with him was a large dog with thick dark fur. The man stood 6.5ft. He was still shorter than Reynauld which Reynauld was thankful for, he liked being the tallest. Tornmud wore a yellow scarf around his neck, with a red vest, white undershirt and brown pants with tailored made brown boots. His eyes were a grayish blue and he had thick eyebrows.

"Ah, Reynauld. Perfect timing. I need you to go back to the ruins and explore as much as you can, and if you find anything… be careful." Marcus turned to the other three. "He is the one who will lead your company into the dark. If you have any further questions ask him." With that said, Marcus left Reynauld alone with the four strangers.

Reynauld approached the four and took off his helmet revealing his face. He shook their hands and waited for them to speak. A few moments went by before the fourth person who wasn't called spoke.

"What should I do?" Asked the women, her voice was small and held a soft feel to it.

The women was very short, she stood 5ft tall. She was very lithe and had pale white skin with brown hair. She had a brown overcoat with a tan shirt under it and wore pants which were stained green and brown and had patches of cloth on some places. She had large black boots that reached her knees and she wore a large rimmed black hat.

"You should get some rest. Find a room in the Tavern and await my return. If, I return." Reynauld answered. "You three, follow me."

The women left the four in the direction of the mayor's house. The four then left for the market. Upon arriving they found Larrin, dusting off an old chest and restocking a few shelves. Reynauld stepped forward and greeted the man, before paying for the supplies they needed. Reynauld then distributed the goods between them all and then they left towards the gate.

"Safe travels!" Larrin yelled as they left.

As the four neared the gate, they saw Marcus waiting for them. Reynauld and Marcus clasped hands and exchanged their farewells, then the company of four left for the ruins. The trip was relatively quiet, save for a few requests for water and or food. About 4 hours later they got to the the abandoned abbey. They found that the outside had not changed one bit. Inside however Reynauld noticed that the entrance he had gone through last time was replaced by a flat stone floor. Towards the far right corner was a large wooden trap door that had lit candles around it.

"We are not alone here. Be on your guard, there are older more fouler things than brigands in the deep places of the world." Reynauld said while drawing his sword. The others followed suit.

The four descended the stairs with Reynauld leading, followed by Luke, Bella, and Tornmud. The room they entered was a small storage room, filled with old barrels. Some still having wine but most were broken and beyond use or repair. Reynauld took the lead and went through a door that led to a large corridor. A few moments into the walk they were ambushed by skeletons.

"AH!" Luke yelled as he stumbled back.

"Hold fast!" Yelled Reynauld.

There were three skeletons, two wielding clubs and one holding a gold goblet. The courtier was the first to react, splashing a large amount of blood from its goblet into Bella's chest.

"Ah!" Bella yelped, as the blood started to heat and cause her a slight sting.

"Come hither friend!" yelled Luke as he threw his hook into the courtier and yanked, pulling the bone fiend into the front of the group, his Irish accent coming out clear as day.

"Have some candy." Bella said as she took out a plague grenade and threw it at a bone rabble drenching it in acid vapors.

The skeleton reacted by taking a swipe at Tornmud, only to be swinging at thin air. Tornmud countered with a club of his own, smashing the skeleton into a heap of bones. Tornmud then quickly dodged another swipe from the other skeleton rabble.

"Behold the light!" Reynauld said as he fired a blast of light from his scroll at the two remaining skeletons reducing them to dust. The group of skeletons had a large amount of gold with them and the courtier was carrying a few crests as well.

The group continued on till they found on old bookshelf with many old tomes stocking its shelves. Bella walked over to it and took one of the tomes, opening it only to find a green slime that jumped onto her skin and then quickly absorbed into her before she could get it off.

"What was that!?" Bella exclaimed.

"Spotted Fever, i'd try to avoid blighted objects till you get that checked out." Reynauld said as he continued forward into the next room followed by the others.

The room was empty, except for a few piles of skulls and a tiny river of blood running into a sewer drain.

"How vile is this place?" Tornmud asked to no one in particular, Reynauld could tell he was from a northern tribe, based on how rough his voice sounded.

The company ignored him and moved onto the next door which lead them to another round corridor. All around them they could hear the creaks and cracks that something moving in the distance of the ruins.

"Do you hear that?" Tornmud asked.

"Relax Tornmud, it's just the wind. This is an old and run down place, things can be a little creaky." said Luke reassuringly.

The four continued on when they came to a small wooden crate. Reynauld opened it to find that it was empty.

"Aww." Groaned Luke.

Reynauld and the others continued undisturbed into the next room. From the look of things it was a torture chamber. Bodies of broken men and women alike were strewn about and some were even torn in half by an unknown force. Thankfully they were all just bone and cloths, instead of flesh and blood.

"Everyone wait here, I'm going to have a look around." said Reynauld as he began searching the room for any clues to recent activity.

The cold hard ground showed no sign of enemies nearby, but he knew there were traps waiting for them.

"When can we stop and settle for some food?" Luke asked as he searched his pack for a piece of bread.

"Soon, be patient. We can't just eat whenever we want." Bella said.

Reynauld nodded and they continued forward. A few steps later they were greeted with a spiked trap.

"Hold." Reynauld commanded. "Is anyone proficient in disarming traps? I can do it but I'd rather let someone more skilled try first."

"I'll do it, stand aside." said Tornmud as he knelt down to the spiked trap. With a tap of a club the trap was disarmed, but before Tornmud got up, a single spike shot up and sliced his arm.

'Curious is the trap makers art. His evacuees unwitnessed by his own eyes'

"Ow! Son of a harlot!" Tornmud yelled as he held his arm.

"Are you alright? Is it bleeding too much?" Bella asked.

"No, thankfully it is just a scratch, but it stings like hell." Tornmud replied.

"Then let's continue." Reynauld said.

Down the long corridor they found a lone torch which Bella grabbed and stored. The next room was another sewer room filled with bones and skulls.

"Oh the joy of being alive!" Tornmud said sarcastically.

The room held two doors, Reynauld took the door to the right. Just outside the door stood a large shrine dedicated to the light. Tornmud approached the shrine slowly, poured a flask of holy water on top and was then enveloped with blue light. Tornmud felt empowered with renewed strength.

The dark halls continued on till they reached a locked glass cabinet. Tornmud took out a key and unlocked it only to see the key vanish into purple mist.

"What is this devilry?" Tornmud questioned.

"Magic keys, they will reappear later." Reynauld answered.

Inside the cabinet was a small stash of gold and two busts. The group continued onward into the next door to find another empty room and a dead end.

"Well there's that other door we didn't go through so let's try that." Luke said.

The party backtrack to the room with two doors. The left door had blue light coming through the cracks. Nobody said a word, but followed Reynauld through the door. On the other side they were greeted by a large figure in a light green overcoat with a metal cage surrounding its head which glowed blue. The figure had its back turned to them.

"Who are you!?" Luke yelled at the mysterious figure.

Turning itself to met them was a skull trapped in the cage as the body floated above the ground.

"I am the collector, and I see fresh meat to be collected." It replied.


	5. Chapter 5 The Collector's Call

**Authors Note: Hey all! I know it's been a loooooooooong time but I'M BACK :D I've cleared up my writers** **block and I will work harder to update on a regular basis** **now. Anyway here's a new chapter! Enjoy!**

"Not today Demon!" Tornmud yelled as he set his dog on the collector, drawing blood.

The collector responded with ringing chimes and opened its cloak to reveal dozens of eldritch abominations, three heads with spines and torn dripping flesh and blood still attached along with blue flames enveloping them, expelled out of its cloak. It let out a screech and the three creatures moved into formation. Bella threw a plague grenade at the collector, blighting it but was then attacked by two of the three creatures. The vile things made cuts in Bella's flesh like a knife through butter. Within moments she was unconscious and slowly bleeding out on the floor.

"You will pay for that!" Luke said as he began to hack away at the creatures only to find another one take its place.

Reynauld and Tornmud also joined in, each taking and returning blow after blow with the blue flaming abominations.

"Would you like to see my collection?" The collector asked as it opened its cloak fully, showing all the pour souls it had snagged. Its voice was that of a woman's but was distorted due to crackling fire. This unnerved Reynauld and Tornmud, almost causing them to vomit.

"Want to see mine!?" Reynauld called back as he showed his scroll and blasted two of the creatures to dust.

The last head launched itself at Tornmud only to be torn to pieces by his trusty hound. Luke then took this opportunity and stepped towards the collector and brought his axe into its body. Reynauld and Tornmud also lept into striking the floating body. After a few bloody moments It surrounded itself with blue flames acting as a shield of fire. It then looked down at the three with its blue flaming eyes.

"A pity, I really wanted you all. But it seems you won't have me today. Here, a gift." The collector said as its eyes seemed to droop. It held out its hand and in it was a puzzling trapezohedron. The colors seemed to shift and change in the torch light. The stone hovered from the collectors metal hand over to Reynauld.

"What is it? Reynauld asked.

"You'll see, nothing dangerous I promise." The collector said in a chillingly cheerful voice.

"No fun in killing… Unless you're doing it yourself! See you around!" It called in a sing song voice.

With the last note sung, the Collector vanished into blue flames. Reynauld gave a hard stare at the stone before putting it into his pack. He turned around to see that Bella was being looked after by both Luke and Tornmud.

"Will she live?" Reynauld asked.

"I'm not sure, only time will tell." Luke said.

"Then let's be on our way." Reynauld said.

Luke picked up Bella and carried her bridal style and after a few moments they were off. Within a quiet minute they came upon a bookshelf. Reynauld reached out and pulled a page from in between the books. It was rough and appeared to be from an old journal.

"The wound is starting to fester." Reynauld read aloud. "The flesh around it is grey, flaking and ridged, almost scale-like. As I write this, my breathing has taken on a hollow timbre and is more laboured. My compatriots are laughing, and tell me not to worry, it's just the salt mist that pervades these caverns."

"Well that's comforting." Said Luke. "Is that all it says?"

"Well this is a journal page, perhaps we'll find more later."Said Reynauld

Another hour of searching through empty corridors and old libraries only ended in them finding two more paintings and another small stash of gold. Soon they were out of the ruins and heading back to the Hamlet. The trip back was slow and long, but peaceful all the same. When the group did get back they were greeted with a rather odd site. The towns folk were busy bustling around like worker bees in a hive.

At the center was Marcus, shouting orders and in his hands were many pieces of parchment. The faces of the townspeople were lit with glee as they all worked. To them, this work gave them purpose and meaning, for too long they have hid in the shadows, and coward at the torch light. Now was the time to take back their lives and restore their town.

"Jefferson! I need more wood! Take a team of 4 men and go into the outskirts of town and chop down some trees!" Marcus yelled to a large burly man who was close to the gate leading outside the town.

Luke, took off in the direction of what looked to be a makeshift hospital with Bella in his arms. Tornmud followed Luke as he ran. Reynauld walked towards the Heir, gave him a bag with the Gem inside and said to be careful with it. Marcus asked why and Reynauld explained, Marcus thanked him and Reynauld left and walked into the tavern; he could seriously use some rest.

Inside the Abbey

Sophia was kneeling down infront of an altar and praying fiercely for guidance. She would have left hours ago, but when she had tried to get up she felt a hand on her shoulder, only to find it was pure light coming from the altar itself. Sophia was confused. 'What was the Light trying to tell me?'

"Sophia."

"Who is there!?" Sophia asked startled.

"Calm yourself, young one. It is I." The voice came from the altar and hummed softly. "You will go into the ruins and recover my relics. For too long they have been kept from my touch. You will bring them back, and bring comfort to the masses."

"But why me? I am not worthy of such a holy task…" Sophia replied sadly.

"My child, you have always walked in my light. I have chosen you for this most holy quest. I know you will succeed in my name. For this I have decreed!" The Light said. The alter then stopped humming and became still.

Sophia got up and without a second thought ran outside the Abbey, looking for Marcus. It was almost noon, but the sun was nowhere to be seen, only small rays of sunshine would come through the clouds. Taking a moment to compose herself, she spotted Marcus in the town square. He was alone, but she could see that the townspeople were busy at work. Sophia walked down the cobblestone steps, and hurried to Marcus.

"Marcus, do you have a moment?" Sophia asked.

"Yes, of course. What is it Sophia? You seem worried." Marcus said looking concerned.

"The light came to me. While I was praying in the Abbey. It said that I must go into the ruins and recover holy relics. It said that these relics would bring comfort to the masses." Sophia explained.

"That is very convenient. Some of the townspeople were asking about restoring the faith to the town. I'd rather not go against the Lights wishes so then it's settled. You will lead the next expedition. Gather three others that will join you and i'll make the necessary arrangements." Marcus said

"Umm… are you sure that's the best idea? I've never been a leader." Sophia said.

"Your quest, you lead." Marcus said, then left in the direction of the market, leaving Sophia alone to ponder her next move.

Just then she noticed Dismas eyeing her from behind a small house, only to realise he'd been seen and quickly hid. Sighing she headed towards his direction. She found him with his back turned to her and by a dying garden that laid in front of a small two story house. She could see that he was messing with a rose bush.

"What are you doing?" Sophia asked.

Dismas, caught off guard, threw the flowers into the air. Sophia watched in amusement as the highwayman tried desperately to catch them. Luckily Dismas was agile enough to achieve his goal. He then turned around and held out five red roses he had picked to Sophia.

"These are for you darlin." Dismas said with a smile under his blue scarf.

Sophia looked at him with a raised eyebrow and glanced behind him to find a large 7ft man emerge from the house.

"Oh thank you Dismas, that's so sweet of you." Sophia said smiling and taking an appreciative sniff of the rare treasure.

"Well I'm glad you like them." Dismas said with a smug smile.

"You'll have to give my compliments to the owner." She replied with a cheshire grin and gesturing to the man behind him whom Dismas hadn't noticed yet.

"Wha- oh crap." Dismas said as he turned around to find the owner of the beheaded roses. "On second thought I really have somewhere to be."

Sophia watched as Dismas ran away from the large gardener. She turned to find him smiling down at her. The man was very old but was built like an oax. He had long silver white hair along with a matching thick beard and bags under his blue eyes. He wore a blacksmith's apron over a red shirt and brown long pants with black boots.

"He seems to be smitten with you my lady." The old man said with a smile.

"Yes, it would seem. A fool really." Sophia said with a chuckle.

"Perhaps, but still a man in love. Give him a chance." He replied.

Sophia shook her head and walked away. She wasn't sure where she was going but ended up in the tavern by the day's end. Inside she found it to be almost empty, save for one man. Larrin was sitting at the bar, and from the looks of things had been drinking heavily. When Sophia approached the bar Larrin yelled at her to "don't touch me! I'm too sane for you!"

Rather than egg him on further she went upstairs to her room where she discarded her armor and quickly got into the bed wondering how her mission would go and what new dangers she would face.

The day was drawing to a close as the sun began to set and the light leaving the world.

Marcus sat in his large room. The guild hall was finally finished and he took the top floor to himself. The room had 3 single 4 squared windows each on the center of the walls. He had a large desk next to his bed and papers along with various trinkets and the fortune he had left, which currently wasn't much. Marcus sat at his desk with a dagger sitting close by. A lit candle was the only light he had in the lonely room. He hesitantly reached into the bag that Reynauld had given him and pulled out the Gem. At first it did not react to his touch but after waiting a moment the inside of the Gem began to shift. The color was that of a ocean on a clear night sky with the moon casting it's light onto the dark waters. Then a face appeared, one that Reynauld had described. The collector looked at Marcus who did not react but simply stared back at it.

"Hello! Hello! Hello! I'm glad to see you had not gotten rid of my gift!" The Collector said gleefully. It's voice unnerved Marcus but he remained stalwart and remained silent.

"The silent type aye? But how are we to become good friends if only I speak?"

"We are not friends, and we never will be." Marcus replied back as he now held the Gem with both hands.

"Is that so? I can be quite charming…"

As the Collector said this, it's face changed. Staring back at Marcus was a crimson haired beauty with stunning red eyes and white creamy skin along with luscious red lips. Her face did not show any trace of malice or death like before. Marcus was in awe of the woman's beauty, but he quickly stole himself.

"This is a trick, a lie to mess with my mind." Marcus said

"Is it?" The woman replied. Her voice was like a lullaby that was sweet to the ear, almost melodic.

Then the woman raised her hand and reached towards Marcus. The Hier said nothing as he watched. The woman showed a slight strain on her face before her hand went through the Gem to caress Marcus's face. Her touch was immeasurably pleasurable to Marcus as it was the softest and most fair thing to ever grace his face in all his years. Not even the softest pillow or the fresh feeling of mattress sheets came remotely close. Without realizing what he was doing, Marcus stopped holding the Gem and placed one hand on hers and reached through the Gem to touch her face with the other. He closed his eyes for a brief moment and took in all he was feeling, nothing else mattered except this touch. After the moment was over her retracted his hands and opened his eyes.

She was smiling back at him but her smile was seductive and he could see in the corner of her lips was a forked tongue sticking ever to gently out.

"Why?" Marcus said not knowing himself what he was asking.

"I do love a good story, especially one with a handsome man such as yourself. But I really must be going, I've got company." The woman said with glee and then the waters dispersed into nothing.

Marcus stared into the Gem and caressed it's smooth glassy shell for a long time before finally blowing out his candle and sleeping the night away. Little did he know, he'd been staring for hours.

 **Bet ya didn't see that coming... review if you'd like. Gives me a confidence boost honestly :) and inspires me to write more! Untill next time -Vandguard35**


	6. Chapter 6 Holy Orders

**A/N: Hey all! Another one! So I'm curious what you all think about the Collector? but short question out of the way, Enjoy!**

It was early in the morning when Marcus awoke. What was surprising was that the Gem was right next his bedside glowing a dark blue and rotated in the air. When he got up to get dressed it seemed to almost follow him as he went around his room. Curiously he grabbed the Gem once again as he done last night and held it. The waters again shifted and swayed as they had done but when the waters stopped there was only darkness inside the Gem.

'Well I can't have you following me around, that will just unnerve the villagers.' Marcus thought.

He then had an idea.

Sophia left her room ready for the day. She knew who she would ask but didn't have an idea of how to ask them, so Marcus was the next best thing. The walk to the guild hall was peaceful and quiet as it appeared she was the only one wake during the hour of the morn. When she entered the Hall she was greeted by a breathtaking sight. The first floor was a training area that had been swept clean of all imperfections. In the center was a training/sparring arena with weapon and armor racks littering the various walls along with a small tavern off to the side for food and drink. A workout station with various weights and tools to hone one's strength were also there in a separate room sealed off by glass. She could also see stairs leading up in the top left corner of the first floor. Without wasting further time she climbed the steps and went up. Each floor housing rooms for herself and her companions. When she reached the top floor she waited a moment, unsure if the Heir was awake but knocked all the same.

"Come in." Marcus called back.

Sophia opened the door to find Marcus strapping the rather large dark crystal gem into iron and leather restraints. She looked on, observing as he worked to seal the Gem tightly into its place. She still wasn't sure why but she chose not to pester him about it.

"Good morning, Marcus. I hope you slept well, I have also got the people I want to take with me." Sophia said as she handed Marcus a small list of names.

"Good morning to you as well, Sophia. I will inform the others during this morning's announcements. After that, you will set out immediately." Marcus said with a smile as he finally put the last latch onto the Gem. As he moved away he could see the Gem move ever so slightly in his direction but then stop and lay still in its cage. "Is there anything else you need?"

"When will we move into these chambers?" Sophia asked not really caring all that much.

"When you get back, you'll find all of your equipment and valuables moved to a room of your own. I assure you nothing will go missing." Marcus said as he then grabbed his coat and walked past her down to the town square.

"Hello everyone, I hoped you all got a good night's rest for we have much work to be done. This week we shall be sending out Dismas, Sam, Freya Cross, and leading the expedition will be Sophia. Please go see Larrin for gear and any questions you might have. So next on our list will be the-"

Sophia stopped listening to Marcus and left towards the gate where Larrin was waiting for her. It was around an hour later before everyone was geared up and ready to move out.

"Hello again, good Gardener." Sophia said to the Veteran.

"Gardener? Ha! You must mean my twin brother, Simon. He's the smith and yes he does tend to the garden but he's not very good." Sam laughed as he explained.

"Oh."

"It's a long way, here is some firewood. But you already know you'll have to pay for the rest." Larrin said as he handed a large pack filled with firewood for the journey.

Sophia began paying for their goods and supplies. Only 20 gold pieces left was not good. Not only did they need to find the relics but they needed funds to pour into the town so Marcus could make it flourish again as it had many years ago.

The journey was the same, though not familier. The serpent like road was just as changing as the whether. To Sophia it was all the same, follow the road that leads to hell. When they reached the ruins they entered with Sam first, followed by Dismas, then Sophia, and Freya.

"Right or left?" Sam asked as there were two doors

Sophia pondered for a moment before motioning with her hand, left. They entered through the door into a long corridor. Sam lit his torch and they moved forward.

"This place gives me the creeps-" Dismas said but was interrupted as a large spike shot up from the ground and sliced his arm. "Dammit!"

Dismas quickly bandaged himself and moved on. It was a rather large cut but did not cut deep. The group was then greeted by a stack of books. Sam went forward and picked up the first book on the top of the stack. As he flipped through the pages he was enlightened. Not only was it a manual on ruins but it explained how to scout for danger when expecting it. "Good to know." Sam said.

As they entered the next room Sophia felt a tug in the back of her mind. Looking around the old storage room she came upon a small statue of a hooded angel holding a sword. "One down, two to go." Sophia said to herself and moved on.

"What do we have here?" Dismas said as he found a small wooden crate. Opening the crate he grabbed a handful of crests.

Into the next room they were ambushed by a group of enemies. Sam had no time to react as his mind was assaulted by dark magic from a cultist. Freya was then hit by a splash of red boiling blood to her arm. In retaliation she threw 2 knifes straight at her assailant and a cultist brawler, each landing true. Dismas followed up with a pistol shot that obliterated the Bone Courtiers head, killing it.

The cultist brawler went forward, striking Sam across the chest drawing blood. Sophia then raised her mace and stuck the acolyte with searing light. Sam then took his mace and rammed into a bone soldier and smashed it to pieces. Freya and Sophia both attacked the acolyte with poison dart and searing light killing her. Dismas and Sam then both finished off the Brawler with mace and knife.

"Damn this infernal bleeding." Sam said as he tried and failed to cover up his deep gash.

"We don't have enough bandages for that. You're just going to have to live through it." Dismas replied.

Dismas searched through the bodies on the ground and found a large sack of gold and a citrine along with a couple busts sitting in the corner.

"Lets eat, i'm starving." Said Freya.

The others said nothing as they had also not eaten in awhile, so did not voice any objection but rather sat down with her and began searching through their packs.

"So what did grandpa Larrin pack for my lunch today?" Dismas said as he started to pull out various food items. "Oh look, old bread. And look here! More old bread. I swear if I try hard enough I might actually taste something."

Sam and Sophia chuckled at Dismas's remark but Freya remained silent and glared at Dismas. She knew what it was like to go on days and sometimes a week without a scrap of food. The group ate in silence after that and then moved forward through the next hallway.

"Tell us a war story, Sam. Surely you, oh mighty veteran, have many to tell." Freya asked.

"Do I have war stories? Of course I do. I'd be happy to tell you." Sam said. "During the war of the Sunken Roads I was in the battle of the Green fields. I was with a mercenary group at the time and we were charged with defending an artillery emplacement. My lads and I watched as the catapults rained fire down onto the battlefield. The lord we were fighting for was heartless but promised us good pay if we won the battle. As I watched I saw aly and enemy alike torn apart by both volleys of arrows and flaming stones. It was gruesome but I did not care at the time. If it wasn't money, fighting, or women I wouldn't care. Blessed Light, I was strong back then. Although we were mercenaries we never ran from a fight, till that day. As the battle was drawing to a close, our side was looking to be victorious. That was until we spotted a large force a cavalry on the way to aid the enemy. Most of the force went straight into battle but a small group headed to our position. Fearing the worst, my lads tuck tail and ran away, abandoning our position along with every other man and women who were manning the catapults. I had a decision to make, run and live or stay and fight. I knew that not only would there be no money but the battle would be lost and shame would follow like a plague. So I stayed to fight-" Sam was then interrupted as a spear shot from the wall.

Reacting quickly he raised his shield and blocked the incoming attack. Before anyone said anything, Sophia raised her hand and motioned for everyone to be silent. She pointed towards the door they had reached and noticed it was open. Peaking through, Sophia saw a group of skeletons shambling about unaware of their presence. Showing hand signals, she informed the group and they all readied themselves for the surprise attack. Sam was first in and let out a large battle cry as he busted through the old door breaking it to the ground with just his mere size. Freya threw her daggers at the first soldiers she saw and Sam took a large swing at the smallest soldier who reacted and dodged the attack. Dismas shot his pistol into an arborist skeleton and Sophia finished it off with her magic.

"Die humans!" The largest of the skeletons armed with axe and shield screeched as it rammed its shield into Dismas staggering him back.

Sophia was then assaulted by sword and crossbolt. She was losing blood fast. Realizing this she began to chant and the groups wounds started to heal back. Dismas fired a grapeshot round, downing one soldier and pestering the other two. Sam followed up with another swing at the final arbalist killing it. He was then rewarded by a shield to his face, stunning him. Freya along with Sophia finished off the axeman, ending the fight.

"Looks like they knew what we came for." Freya said as she picked up another statue inside a fountain.

Sam approached the fountain and poured holy water into it before drinking its contents. Immediately his wounds sealed up and his mind cleared. Letting out a large sigh he did not know he'd been building up and breathed heavily after.

"Alright, so where was I… Oh yes!" Sam said as he then went back the way they had come. The rest followed as there was nowhere else to go. "So as the cavalry were charging I went to the catapult and rotated it to face the enemy. Grabbing a bolder I heaved it into place and fired. I watched as the stone smashed the enemy going straight through their formation ensuing chaos. Only a few riders remained. I grabbed my longbow and began to pick off one after another. Although they had run, seeing me dispatch the threat made my lads and the other artillery men come back, cowards. I then lead the entire company into battle against the enemy. That was a glorious day! Such a time to be alive." Sam finished his story. Sophia and Freya were thoroughly amused which Dismas did not like.

"Onto door number 2." Dismas said as they reached the entrance again and went through the next door.

Sophia was in the lead now and was surprised to find two large burial urns covered in dark ashe with slimy black liquid all over them. Taking out the rest of her holy water she poured the contents into and onto the urns. This purified the ashes revealing valuables and treasure.

"Look out!" Freya said as a spiked gauntlet came out of the shadows to strike Dismas.

Sophia turned to see they had been discovered and caught unprepared. But the enemy did not find them lacking. Reacting much quicker than expected the company dispatched the thugs without injury. Sophia knew they had to rest soon and were growing tired. Time moved differently down in the dark, something she knew too well. The halls seemed to stretch and weave as they walked through the blackness. Stress started to seep in like blood through cracked stone, slow and unnerving. The silence was broken as Sophia was then knocked to the ground by a hidden trap, causing her to hit her head hard knocking her out cold.

"With my ear to the road, no one shall surprise me..."

When She awoke from her trauma induced sleep she was met by warmth and laughter along with a cozy fire in a room she had not seen before. Looking around in panic she searched for her friends. What she saw was exactly that. Huddled in the dark around the large fire with their packs and food ready and waiting.

"Oh good! You're awake." Sam said as he handed her a bowl of fresh soup and a waterskin.

Sophia wasted no time and drank the water greedily. Only after did she realize who she was and stopped. She thanked Sam and took another look around taking in her surroundings. On each of the doors were little bells and some form of trap she did not understand.

"Let's eat!" Freya said.

"I second that." Dismas agreed.

"As do I." Sam said as they all began to dig into their food.

Sophia prayed and then ate hungrily. With such a large amount of food they indulged their every hungry desire.

"So I have a joke or two. Might just break up the tension and strain on our minds," said Freya as she got up. "So, the children were lined up in the cafeteria of a holy elementary school for lunch. At the head of the table was a large pile of apples. The nun made a note, and posted on the apple tray: "Take only ONE. God is watching."

Moving further along the lunch line, at the other end of the table was a large pile of chocolate chip cookies. A child had written a note, "Take all you want... God is watching the apples." Freya said with a laugh, causing Sophia to laugh and Sam to chuckle.

"C'mon you can do better. Do you have any darker jokes?" Dismas said with a laugh.

"Two men were walking home after a Halloween party and decided to take a shortcut through the cemetery just for laughs. Right in the middle of the cemetery they were startled by a tap-tap-tap noise coming from the misty shadows. Trembling with fear, they found an old man with a hammer and chisel, chipping away at one of the headstones. "Holy cow, Mister," one of them said after catching his breath, "You scared us half to death - we thought you were a ghost! What are you doing working here so late at night?" "Those fools!" the old man grumbled. "They misspelled my name!" Freya replied. This caused the others to laugh more but not Dismas who was still waiting.

"A man walks into a library and asks for a book about how to kill yourself. The librarian replies: "Fuck off, you won't bring it back." Freya said without waiting and stared back at Dismas who burst out laughing.

Dismas opened the door waiting and listening for any sign of danger. Hearing nothing he motioned for the others to follow. As they began walking they were stopped by a large pile of rubble blocking the way. Freya Grabbed her shovel and began to dig. This prompted Sam and Dismas to grab their shovels and help. Sophia stood guard and watched over them as they dug. Once they were done Dismas again stopped and listened.

"We have company, the digging must have attracted them." Dismas said quietly as they all armed themselves. They then saw a small torch in the darkness held by a bone soldier.

"NO! N-NO! Please let me go, i've seen too much and I must go!"

Sophia looked in horror as an old man was shackled and being carried away by three other skeletons she couldn't make out. Freya took no time in waiting and threw her daggers, one striking the crazed man and the other hitting a skeleton's head clean off making it fall dead on the ground. The three that were left were completely taken by surprise as Dismas and Sam charged in after Freya, firing and smashing as they went. Within seconds the fight was over.

"What have you done!? You killed an innocent man!" Sophia said as she went up to Freya striking her with her gloved fist, which brought her onto the ground.

Sam and Dismas held her back as Freya went over to the dead man and pointed to his neck. "Look." She said.

Sophia shook off the two men and set her eyes to where Freya was pointing. It was a mark of the Heretic, Blasphemer and cultist of Darkness. Sophia was speechless.

"No need to apologize. It was a good punch. But the next time you hit me, I won't be so kind" Freya said with a stern look.

"Regardless, I acted out of anger and I am sorry. I don't normally do that. This damn quest has me more stressed than I've ever been." Sophia apologized with a sad look.

'Finally!' Sophia thought as she grasped the third statue. Laying around her were the bodies of more skeletons. She then handed the bag of the holy statues to Sam who put them in his pack

"DO YOU THINK THOSE PUNY TRINKETS WILL SAVE YOU!?"

Sophia and and the rest were thrown off their feet as the ground shook and rumbled. The voice was deep and dark, full of malice and hate.

"I WILL BURY YOU ALL ALIVE!"

Again the ground began to shake all around them. The stone and wood pillars and support beams shifted and groaned under an invisible weight.

"Don't just stand there! We need to run!"Freya yelled as she picked up her bags and ran out the door followed by Dismas and Sam.

As they ran through the doors and dark hallways they dared not look back. The walls themselves seemed to laugh and snicker at the attempt they were making to get out alive. Sophia began to falter in her speed as fatigue set in. Straining harder to get out she pushed her every being to get through the final door-

"We made it!" Dismas exclaimed as he jumped in the air. "We made it- wait. Where is Sophia?"

The three looked behind them at the entrance, each wheezing and coughing as they tried to get air into their lungs. Horror struck them as they saw a single hand sticking out of the rubble that had fallen. Sophia was dead.

 **A/N: First death... sorry... not sorry! Mwhahahahahaha I'm so evil! Jk there will be many more :) but I do have a question. What style of writing do you like? Short and sweet or long and drawn out? It will still be the same story but I want you all to be happy with how much you read.**


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